Indexed book



PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904.

I H. c. DUNBAR.

INDEXED BOOK. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1901. NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

By. A

INVENTOR' W'TNESSES- HENRYL-C. DUNBAR' may/WWW 8 ATTORNEYS.

No. 752,385. PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904.

H. G. DUNBAR.

INDEXED BOOK.

APPLIOATION FILED mm; 20. 1901.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

I no MODEL.

INVENTOR H NRY C.DUNBAR- ATTORNEYS.

. To all whom it may concern.-

,of indexing.

tered tabs dividing the bookinto alphabetical provided for each alphabetical division. I The Patented February 16,1904.

P TENT OFFICE.

HENRY c. DUNBAR, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA."

INDEXED BOOK.

srncrrrcnrrron forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,385, dated February 16, 1904.

Application filed JumrZO, 1901.

'Be it known that I, HENRY C. DUNBAR, of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indexed Books, of which the following is a specification. p i

The invention relates to indexed books; and the object of the invention is to provide an index particularly adapted for loose-leaf ledgers, where the leaves as soon as they are filled or an account is closed are removed and new ones substituted therefor. l

A further object is to provide a system of individual indexing for as many leaves as there may be in each alphabetical division without increasing the size of the leaves in proportion to the increase in number. k

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description. 7

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of a book embodying my system Fig. 2 is a plan viewshowing the book partially opened to a leaf of-the first group. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the book opened to the third group. Fig. gt is a plan View of an index-page that I may prefer to provide at the beginning of each alphabet: ical division. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the manner of opening the book to any one of the groups in that section when the index shown in Fig. 4 is employed;

In the drawings, 2 represents a book of the .loose-leaf-ledger type, wherein the leaves are separable and are bound between detachable covers to permit one or more leaves to be removed and others to be substituted therefor. The leaves 3 are provided at intervals with letsectionsor divisions. In thedrawings I have shown one tab, 4, bearing the letter .B and attached to an index-page 5, one of which is .index-page'is preferably ruled horizontally with a series of light and heavy lines, there being preferably three light lines to one heavy 'smainasazzv. (Nomodelb line, forming four spaces for the names between each two heavy lines. A greater or less number of these name-spaces may, however, be

, provided, if desired. The index-page is also provided with a series of vertical lines intersecting those described, and between the vertiin the first column atthe left hand of the page a at the top appears the letter A in large type and beneath it in smaller type B, C, D. The next column contains the letter E, the type corresponding to that of A, and beneath the letter E in smaller type the letters F, G, H, and so on across the page. In indexing the accounts the bookkeeper will take the names beginning, for instance, with B and enter them on the index-page appropriated for that alphabetical division of the book. If the second letter of the name, is A, he will enter it under the first columnat the left, and if the second letter is E he will enter it under the second column, and so on, each name being'ente'red in the column whose index-letter at the top corresponds to the second letter of the name. If the second letter of the name is b, c, d or f, g, h, it will be entered in the proper column appropriated for those letters.

The numbers of the pages on which the particular accounts will be found will be entered in the column'appropriated for them opposite the name of the account that is to be found on that page. This manner of indexing, except asregards the particular arrangement of the letters at the top of the columns, is not new, and I make-no claim to the same broadly in this application. The tabs provided at intervals'on the edge of the book and dividing the same into alphabetical sections form the primar'yindex common to index systems, and I prefer to provide'in addition thereto a subordinate index which will enable a bookkeeper to readily turn. to any account desired and will permitthe keeping of a large number of accounts and the indexing of the same in abook having leaves of comparatively small dimensions. To provide this subordinate index, I prefer to divide each alphabetical division or section of the book into two or-more groups of leaves, there being preferably, for convenience in using the system, ten. leaves .in each group. In the book that I have shown the "B section is divided into three groups of ten leaves each, the index-leaf for that section being located at the right of the section and the leaves being numbered from right to left. The first ten leaves, counting from the indexleaf, will be the unit-leaves and numbered accordingly. Near the top of the book I provide a tens-group nick or notch 6, beginning with the index-leaf and terminating with the last leaf of the first group. I also provide a series of notches 7 in steps along the edge of the book, one notch being appropriated for each unit-leaf, each notch beginning with the index-leaf or the first leaf of its group and terminating with the leaf bearing its corresponding number, so that the bookkeeper can readily turn to any leaf of the group. The second or tens group, containing the leaves numbered 10 to 20, are notched in a corresponding manner, except that the groupnotch 8 is continued through to the last leaf of the second group.

The notches in the leaves of the second group are alined with the corresponding notches in the leaves of the first group, and the leaves of the third group, or those numbered to 30, are notched in a corresponding manner, and a group-notch 9 is provided, beginning with the index-leaf and terminating with the last leaf of the third group. The numbers of the leaves may be placed thereon at the bottoms of the notches, as shown in the figures, and in addition thereto they may be arranged in a vertical row on the margin of the indexleaf, as shown in Fig. 1, the numerals 10, 20, anc 30 being placed opposite their respective group-notches and the unit-numerals opposite their notches.

In using the index the bookkeeper will first note the page on the index-leaf where the account to be referred 'to is found. Suppose this name is Benson, found on page 13, as shown on the index-page, Fig. 1, thebookkeeper will place his thumb in the tens-group notch, then slide it along on the leaf numbered 10 to a point opposite the numeral 3, where he will find a notch terminating with the leaf having the thirteenth page and the account desired. If the Bagley account is to be examined, found on page 26, the leaves of the book will first be parted at the bottom of the twenty-group notch. Then the bookkeeper will move his thumb along that leaf to a point opposite the numeral 6, where he will find a notch terminating with page 26, whereon the account sought for will be found. In the same manner the bookkeeper may readily turn to any account found between pages 30 and 40.

By arranging the leaves of each alphabetical division in groups of preferably ten leaves each I am able to provide a separate individual index for each leaf whereby the bookkeeper can easily and quickly refer to any account in the book. In indexed books having a large number of leaves in each alphabetical division it would be necessary in order to have an individual index for each leaf of the divi-' sion, where the ordinary marginal notches arranged 1n steps were used, to lncrease the size of the leaves 1n proportlon to the increase in ,number to make room for the additional notches required. In loose-leaf ledgers especially it is not desirable to provide large leaves, I as it 1s customary to remove a leaf when an account is closed, and if aleaf is large and the account small considerable paper may be wasted when the leaf is taken out unless several accounts are kept on one leaf, which is not desirable, as they may not all be closed at the same time.

In Fig. 4 I have shown an index-leaf 10, that is designed for use at the left hand of each alphabetical division. This leaf is lettered and the names indexed thereon in the manner heretofore described; but the method of referring to the pages is the reverse of that employed for the accounts of the other indexleaf. For instance, the index-leaf is provided with a series of notches 11, there being one for each leaf and one for each group of leaves in the section. To turn to an account, the bookkeeper will part the leaves at the lettered tab, then slide his finger between them to a I point opposite the group-notch and from that point to the unit-notch desired, and then placing the finger on the page forming the bottom of the notch allow the succeeding pages to fall away from it. For instance, if be desires to refer to the account of Backus found on page 23 (see Fig.5) he will part theleaves at the termination of the 2O group notch and then sliding the finger between the leaves at that point until opposite the notch alined with the numeral 3; Upon placing the finger in this notch the leaves following the one having the account desired will drop away and permit the book to be opened at thedesired point. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecureby Letters Patent 1. An indexed book divided alphabetically int'o'sections for the primary index, each section having an index-page provided with a let-- the leaf bearing its corresponding number, and each group having a notch designated by a ten or a multiple thereof and terminating with its last leaf and extending through all the leaves of the preceding groups of that section, substantially as described.

2. An indexed book divided alphabetically into sections for the primary index, each section having an index-page provided with a lettered tab corresponding to the alphabet-letter for which that section is appropriated and on which page the name of the account and'the page where found are entered, each section being divided into groups of ten leaves each numerically arranged for a subordinate index and having individual nicks or notches designated by units, each notch beginning with the first leaf of its group and terminating with the leaf bearing its corresponding number, the first group having a notch beginning with the index-leaf and extending through all the leaves of that group and terminating with the tenth leaf of the group and the succeeding groups each having a notch beginning with the index-leaf and extending through the leaves preceding such groups respectively, and designated by a ten or multiple thereof and terminating with the leaf whose number is a multiple of the number of leaves in the first group, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of June, 1901. HENRY C. DUNBAR.

In presence of' RICHARD PAUL,

M. C. NOONAN. 

